"There was a documentary about the Australian photographer of architecture John Gollings who was working in the field with a Nikon D4. I only saw it for a short moment but there was clearly a 4 on it instead of a 3. The only significant thing I saw was the bigger top of the camera. I mean the prism on top of the camera."

Actually, it ‘s the new, highly anticipated, Chinese Norkon D4sMkVI.
It features a 70mm, 3-D, sensor fabricated from pure ionic amulite, offering crystalline operation in the mid 6-figure ISO range.
It also ushers in new mirror technology employing sinusoidal de-pleneration to rectify optical photon harmonics. Metering is handled by 7 unilateral phase detractors with continuous lotus O-delta coupling. The pentaprisim is a revolutionary device based on a malleable logarithmic casing with a pair of hydro-coptic marzal vanes. The Norkon’s data storage technology will eclipse all current flash based devices. Panendermic semi-boloid stator phasing induces a dynamic Sample-and-Forget data repository. This new technology allows storage of images prior to exposure. The holographic rear display leverages inverse reactive current to induce modial interaction of magneto-reluctance thereby producing an image much more accurate than real life. Current draw during operation is somewhat higher than most DSLR’s, 15a @ 440v 3-phase, but quality is everything to Norkon, and no corners were cut.
As the official spokesman for Norkon, I can ssure you that this new Norkon is likely to set the bar for new camera performance for some time to come.

Christina

Where do I sign up to get mine?

That spec report is just way too funny!!!!

Loved it! Especially this gem:
Panendermic semi-boloid stator phasing induces a dynamic Sample-and-Forget data repository.
Absolutely hilarious!!
Everytime we have a leak-rumor like this one, I think you should write a creative comment like this to get our spirits back.
thank you!

Bryan

But it’s not powered by dilithium crystals?!? Pshhhhh, I’ll pass

CC

But will Norkon or Simy release a camera with the new sensor first? I know Simy makes the sensor but surely Norkon isn’t going to let Simy beat them to market with a DSRL with the newest sensor first AGAIN!

woble

It’s D3, get over it people.

Gary

it’s a D3, something projecting out from the lens just blocked half of the ‘3’ and the pixels make it look like ‘4’. pls close this comment now. lol!

It was a D3X, definitely. I recorded the show from TV on HDD and studied the camera model by pausing the recording. Images with “D4” on the camera are just faked!

Daniel

He uses a D3x in the opening sequences, but look at the sequence @ 29:21, where he uses a different body. That clearly doesn’t have the same D3x lettering on it.

lensmatter

That is clearly a D4. I truly believe its a D4 in MX format that he is testing in landscape and acrchitectural photography. Given the market demand, Nikon just saw an opening to compete in Medium format.

dino

Whatever is, the top part of the camera lets hint kind of popup flash… maybe I’m wrong but if you look carefully at the right side (toward left shoulder in the image) it looks like there’s a very particular side shape and a tiny line that might mean a popup flash

There’s simply no way Nikon would ship out a camera so clearly labeled D4 this early in testing stages. First of all, they’re NOT that close to releasing a D4 anyway so this is all pointless. But even if they were getting close to releasing a D4, test cameras probably wouldn’t go out with that final stencil painted in. Or if they did, this guy would get in HUGE trouble with Nikon for not covering up the “4”…

The only way that could possibly be a D4 and be so publicly flaunted would be if it were being announced momentarily. Which it isn’t; we’re not due for a D4 this year for sure; we’ll be seeing a D700 replacement / successor instead.

Besides, people have clearly show that it is a “3” in other frames of the video. This is just the freak coincidence of a pixelated low-quality video looking like a 4 instead of a 3.

=Matt=

Daniel

“Besides, people have clearly show that it is a “3″ in other frames of the video. This is just the freak coincidence of a pixelated low-quality video looking like a 4 instead of a 3.”

Not really at all, if you had bothered watching the movie yourself before replying, since this is just a single frame out of a sequence, where all frames states D4. There’s no way the four could resemble a three in any possible way.
In the beginning though, he uses a D3x, but later on it’s another body, without both the x and the 3.

Heath

You could not categorically say from the footage that this is definitely a D4, the movie is just not clear enough. I believe that it is the D3 or D3x. If you watch the video closely enough (as you request everybody should do) you will see that the lens hood obscures part of the model number……… how? You can see that he is using a PC lens (as you would expect from an architectural photographer) because he shifts the front element down right at the 29.22 mark, you can see at that point the “Nikon” label on the prism becomes increasingly exposed (without the actual camera moving) and at the same time a little more of the D3 label is also expose (but not all of it)!

Can’t categorically say that is is a D4…………. (but you can categorically say it isn’t based on all the other rational comment made already).

see my comment above about the D90 cameras that Chase Jarvis got before they were official – they were labeled as D90 and Chase had to cover the label with black tape

ryan Loewy

and your point is? shmobviously jarvis would tape it up, he’s smart. this guy didnt, so obviously it isnt the d4. stupid rumor is stupid rumor.

MikeyLPT

Black tape on the camera would have been a much more compelling rumor..IMHO. But still fun nonetheless.

Chris P

There is one possibility, if the camera is a D4, that hasn’t been mentioned yet. The D3s replaced the D3, there will be no D3xs and the D4 is the replacement for the D3x. It will have the same, or better, resolution as the D3x, low light abilities approaching that of the D3 and 1080 video. Just don’t expect it to be the same price as a Canon 5DMk2, although all the Canon fanboys will flood every group with questions as to why it costs so much.

I DO think that’s a “D4”, especially when he adjusts the tilt-shift lens, although if anybody could see a higher res vid somewhere would be handy.

Since it was back from 2009 – Conceivably it could have been a pre-production D3s, labelled as 4 – BUT I’m finding this a bit difficult to believe as he’s a Architecture Photographer – I know a few and they’re old fashioned guys mostly – still lugging around Large format cameras. Pixels are important and I doubt they’d be happy with only 12.

So I think that it’s either a 3 and the video has duped us all, including me, or genuinely a D4 and someone has messed up, or someone (Nikon or John) is having a laugh with us.

It might be a D4. That a test model is not equiped with model markings is total nonsense. The D3 was tested months before it came out , same counts for the the new 70/200 VR/II. These models which were handed out to photographers were all equiped with full markings. If a camera is in pre stage testing, so wihtout it´s markings it is not handed out to photographers, it´s done by Nikon itself.

Gordon

I caught his doco when it was on TV a few months ago here in Sydney, not sure when it was filmed but it may of been shot in 2008 and released in 2009.

John pretty much shoots architecture using both Nikon and Canon bodies, plus a special camera that shoots 360deg panoramics. He is in high demand and gets flown around the world to photograph buildings for different clients.

If he is going to be testing any body, I would think Nikon would be placing a D4X in his hands, not the successor to a sports/journalist body.

Markus

Who knows there will not be a D4x….

Ryouichi Yasahiro

Indeed. The D4 will be 24MP.

Michel Capture

Why print D4 on a test model if secret?
So a producion model or pre-production is most logical.
Looking at the program closely I can not read the complete name. It could also be DoD. With the”o” connecting both D’s.
The first digital builds were for DoD, Department of Defense…

When Chase Jarvis had the D90 to shoot the commercial for Nikon, they were regular D90 with the D90 label. Chase had to use duct tape to cover the label when going out in the streets of Seattle. Just saying.

kaki

it probably is D4 duck tape.

Anonymous

It’s of course the D3. Make Screenshot, open it with BItmap and zoom in. You will see the pixel that are making clearly the D and the number next to them is in the middle open to the left like a 3 and not closed like a 4.

tomik

Interesting selective visual hallucinations 😀 Regardless in which way. Clearly some one or the other group of users should stop smoking so much

I just wanted to see if the prism is bigger like said in the first post. That costed me about 4 minutes of my life. Damn!
Did I say that I need a new camera? No! I love my S5Pro.

JJ

It’s a D3. All the pics look like D3. Well, more like a block. You can imagine any number you like and it’ll be ‘possible’.

Jon Brooke

I think it’s a D5 !!!!

kaki

d6 most

sjms

it is amazing what the mind will see when hysteria takes over. it it a D3 as per the image above. the D4 is coming soon but you all haven’t seen it just yet.

Charlie

I’m quit surprised that that folks are not paying attention to what they are looking at.
It is a D3 as shown in the first picture. If you see what looks like a 4, look at the D.
The 4 is being created by a part of the D. It then really looks like a merged C4.

Pixie

Certainly, D4 is coming out….but not within this year that’s for sure.

Kenneth Solfjeld

Thats a D3. Rumor Busted..

Anonymous

The picture clearly and far beyond any doubt shows a D700X with 24 MP.
The lens – as a matter of fact – is a new 17mm 4.0 shift and tilt, that easily can be converted into a new 85mm 1.4 VR as well. All your wishful thinking just blurred your visions.

shorty

I’m always happy when my wife says four inches, instead of three -LOL

Wannes

John is a Canon shooter with a D3 for low light.
No D4 in any way.

chuck

Get some more, or get out and shoot… I am very happy with my D3X, D3S and D700.

Paris

It is clearly D9xs. Έλα μωρή Πανάθα

Nikon Insider

Guys, ok, here it is. This is the D3/4 Hybrid. a 12/24MP back to back sensor. Need low light High ISO, HDR, fast FPS? Use it iin 12MP mode. Need High Resolution? Press a button, the sensor unit flips over on a central axis, to the 24MP side. Similarly, the D3 logo rolls over and shows D4. Hence the confusion with this whole post. Gotta admire Nikons tight shut lines hey?

OK, I’m no insider…..but the concept doesnt seem to far fetched does it? Heck, we have LCDs that can twist and turn more than pole dancers, and shutters chattering away at 10fps…..surley a flip over sensor coud be possible.

Anonymous

the birth of the 15 thousand dollar dslr, fun.

Eliot

Get a life people. With all the time on your hands none of you need a camera anyway.

looks actually like a fake. the “D4” letters seem to be brighter than “D3” letters.
obviously just a bad photoshop job.

Anonymous

Where’s the movie of D900? Some photographers must be testing it? What happened to the guy at Vancouver?

Nikon doesn’t need a single digit body for new tech. D90 was the proof.

The invisible man

I’m testing it now, so far it’s a good camera, I like the extra pixels and specialy the ISO capabilities, ISO 3600 is as good as the D700 at 800 ISO.
Colors are great and the larger sensitivity between low and high lights is fantastic !
That 3 sensors generation is really new step (Canon users will cry).
I miss the flash for fill in and wireless flash (as a master flash), but I guess with the new larger prism it’s difficult to find place for the flash !

this was a rumor when I first posted it – there were no pictures or video available, just a report from somebody that saw it on TV (the pictures and the videos are clearly marked as updates)

inabon

Admin, you dont have to justify your posts so much! You are the man! I repeat, YOU ARE THE MAN! If someone doesn’t like some of your posts, let them not read ’em, jeez, this IS a rumor and this kind of post is why I visit NR so much.

I hate how every time someone posts something like “This is not a rumor” or some variant of that. This is place for people (like me) obsessed with Nikon, so, let us be. Yes, I’m not a pro, blablabla, I dont shoot everyday, I dont get paid, I use my Nikon to try and do art with it, given I suck at painting.

This documentary has been done in 2008 and has been realise in 2009, sorry guys but I think it is a D3

luckychahal@me.com

this was a d3

sridhanush

I cant believe that this has entered the rumour mill! Guys… observe closely… the effect you are seeing here is due to video compression… its clearly a D3… now, the ‘3’ on an actual D3 is printed very close (with the top and bottom curves actually touching it) to the ‘D’. When you have a low resolution video like the one posted here, it is possible that the ‘3’ can appear jagged and be mistaken for a ‘4’ .. observe this image first :

When you blow out a low resolution sample and apply sharpening, you are doing nothing but emphasizing the artifacts of compression! But still, if u observe the latter sample very closely, you can make out a ‘3’ . Hope that clears the wind! And last but not the least, no one is fast enough to change a camera body between consecutive frames of a video 😛

El Aura

Most likely a video compression artefact.

Anonymous

It’s a D3. If it were a D4 then the ‘4’ is printed so close to the ‘D’ that they both actually overlap by some degree.

the best thing about this rumor is that it is not a COOLPIX… or is it?

Anonymous

We may next have custom-named & custom spec’d cameras. Than people can have anything starting with D written prior to purchase, prepared like birthday cakes 🙂

– Sir, what would you like your new camera called?
– uhm, D 69sx-cam…
– Please just have a sit while our machine prepares the sticker
– How much of megapixels? The more, you’ll pay more!
– Around 20 is ok
– How much ISO? Again, the more, you’ll pay more!
– up to 6400
– Now you can choose one of our body types
– D700 is fine
– Do you want video for $500
– Not really
– Any lenses?
– No thanks, I’ve got some
– Ok your camera is ready, you just owe $3000.
– YAY !

ArtTwisted

ive been wanting something similar to that for a long time, choose your body and sensor. Nikon lets you pick the combos that actually work (they all should ) and its complete a la carte. Every photographer gets what they need.

daniel

If Dell could do it why can’t Nikon?

ryan Loewy

because camera’s aren’t customizeable the way computers are.

Bryan Valiant

Ok this is weird …sadly I saw this on my high end 30″ monitor and 17″ laptop couldn’t tell…. On my iPhone
D3 as plain as on my camera ??? WTF what the hell I want my$2300 back from NEC.

ray

looks like a d3 no matter how i look at it.. the logo is a d3 also in the second picture. its dark where it should be light due to a 4.